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The Punjab Teachers Union in Pakistan has planned protests through November in response to the penalising of teachers for students' exam performance, increased workloads, the mandate to use English as the language of instruction and a change that teachers say opens up schools to political influence. Teachers and the education department have been negotiating for months and recently reconciled some of their disputes.

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England Schools Minister David Laws has announced an overhaul of the country's General Certificate of Secondary Education, stating that secondary-school exam league tables will rank schools based on their performance on their top eight GCSE subjects. Previously, schools were assessed based on the percentage of students earning five grades of C or better in GCSE subjects, including English and maths.

A recent study finds that Australian students who were born at healthy weights, who have higher socioeconomic statuses, have access to books at home and whose mothers do not work long hours perform better on national exams than their peers without those advantages. However, the study, conducted by the University of Queensland, found that students who attended private primary schools did not outperform their peers at state schools.

International Day of the Girl Child was observed on 11 Oct., and this year's focus was on education and innovation. Technology education is seen as a critical factor in helping girls overcome gender barriers, Anna King writes.

Pakistan's chief minister, Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, says the country should boost its vocational training for students as one way to make the country more prosperous. Students with vocational training could improve Pakistan in areas including agriculture, industry and trade, he said.

Education Secretary Estelle Morris this week came under fire from teacher's unions when she warned teachers not block pay reforms. The National Union of Teachers and the National Association of Head Teachers are considering one-day job actions to protest Morris' policies, representatives said.